Rainbows and Sunshine

I knew buying, selling and moving would be a little crazy.  But I being in the trenches feels a little like being sucker punched in the gut and wacked on the head with a bat simultaneously after running a marathon.

The marathon being, cleaning, packing and staging our home.  With a baby to look after, that only happened after he was asleep.  Since the beginning of January I've been averaging 4 hours of sleep a night.  Obviously resulting in me being cheerful, positive and productive all day long...

Ironically I know we are so unbelievably blessed with the circumstances of our move, being able to sell our home, and being able to afford something more comfortable in Florida, but for some reason all I can see is the negative and boy, do I want to complain!  Josh is beyond tired of hearing about ALLLL my troubles which could be listed a few tiers above first world problems to say the least.

To be honest our selling process probably isn't that painful, it's all the uncertainty.  Just when I think it's figured out wham, bang, boom - no ma'am it ain't happening that way.

My sons sleep schedule - forget about it.  We went into listing on a two nap a day schedule - which we were both very happy with.  Now I have a very confused and tired unscheduled little guy, and I'm still trying to figure out how I get to take a shower if he won't take a dang nap. 

Don't get me started on decorating and undercoating for his birthday party, for impromptu showings - it was AWESOME.  I know I deserve to be stabbed with a plastic party fork for complaining.

My main frustration is why I'm having such a hard time trusting in GOD?  I know we are in his hands, he molded the path we are cruising down - yet all I want to do is yank every issue and problem back from him and sulk.

So I've been spending James' new nap time checking a few things off the old to-do list and trying to pray for positivity, when what I really want to do is bang my head against my desk because I just realized 3/4 of the places that we thought we were going to be looking at in FL are under contract and I'm not exactly thrilled with the few remaining on our list. 

All rainbows and sunshine over here....

My Little Valentine

Loved spending valentines day with this little one who has totally stolen my heart.








I fall more in love with him everyday. So glad to be his mommy and that my main squeeze loves and supports us so that everyday can be a love fest at our house!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Birthday Boy

We had so much fun celebrating on James' birthday.

Well we started a little early on Thursday night with a special Elmo balloon as we were checking out at the store.

 Daddy and I sang happy birthday at breakfast before James enjoyed his organic, gluten free blueberry waffle.

 After a great morning nap, we headed to Mother Goose Rhyme Time at the library - it was also our teachers birthday, too! 

 Just a few short weeks ago he would cry and cry when we brought out the parachute - but now he laughs and laughs.  Such a big boy.

After all the fun with your friends, we headed to Doodlehoppers for James to pick out a little extra birthday happy.

We played with the train tracks for a while, since I haven't decided on a train table and tracks yet, and we already had all his other gifts-we held off on coming home with Thomas and Friends.

I was trying to let James pick out a toy, preferably something small in the finger puppet category, but he kept picking this UGLY raccoon.

Luckily I redirected and we came home with a fun wooden firetruck.

Lunch was Annies Shells and Cheese with steamed broccoli - I thought that would be a fun treat, followed by an afternoon nap.  Afterwards we were up and down the stairs 110+ times.

Dinner was pesto green beans and turkey meatballs, which James of course gobbled up. An extended bath time, sweet songs and lots of stories preceded bed time.  We needed good rest to get ready for swim lessons and his party the next morning!

12 Months

Well buddy, it looks like we made it through our first year.

You've blessed our lives beyond anything we could have imagined.

You've been our sweet baby boy for 11 months and at about 11 months and 1 day a flip switched and you because a rough and tumble little boy.  You still have your tender moments where you will lay your head on my chest or sit still next to me for 10 seconds, but all 86390 other seconds in the day you GO GO GO!

It seems the very day your first teeth -your top and bottom right- came in, you decided to start to crawl instead of worm across the room.  Up and down the stairs, throwing and chasing balls, opening and closing doors and drawers and the pots and pans, oh you love to clang those pots and pans.  I can hardly keep up with you.

I've learned the hard way to keep all toilet seats down and bathroom doors closed.  I know if I don't hear you pitter-pattering around on the floor you are throwing something into the toilet or trying to figure out how to.  I've rescued many balls from each of our bathrooms.

I sometimes convince you to read books with me, although you REALLY prefer to sit and read to yourself - ha!  You love your Winne the Pooh book, the Hungry Caterpillar, and Oh Dinosaurs!  On days I can get you to sit still we will read at least 20 books.  Always the Going to Bed Book and Llama Llama nighty night before bed.

You are more than happy to show us where your head is, clap your hands, high 5 and laugh and laugh and laugh.  You are very musical, we can thank Miss Maddie your music teacher for that.  I just love it when you join in song with me.  Your favorites include the Hello song from music together, Snuggle Puppy, This Little Light of Mine and You are my Sunshine, which is our naptime and bedtime song.

Speaking of naps you take two a day and sleep through the night *most of the time*  You nurse first thing in the morning, before each of your naps and before bed.  You love to drink water out of your sippy cups and eat eat eat.  I'm very proud of the healthy eating habits we've developed with you.  

For breakfast you typically have half a whole wheat mini bagel and a banana or blueberry waffle.  Lunch hummus, pastas, beans rice, curries-you love Indian food, veggies, yogurt and apple sauce - not all of this at once.  I try to make dinners that you can enjoy with us.  You gobble up broccoli, green beans, peppers, raviolis and love to feed yourself with a fork.  Cheese and mum mums are just about your favorite thing ever.  I can't let you see cheese or you will going on an eating strike and won't touch anything but your organic colby jack!  While you will demolish just about any vegetable you prefer fruits in puree form, and other than bananas, will just spit about every fruit out of your mouth.  I also have a very strong suspicious that you are allergic to strawberries.  Which resulted in your bum, back and legs being covered in it's first and very ferocious diaper rash that has lasted most of the month.

We go in the indoor baby gym just about every afternoon because neither one of us likes to be at home from 4-5pm.  You're taking Music and Movement Class, Swim Lessons and go to Mother Goose Rhyme time at the library.

Your partners in crime include Jack, Lincoln, Avery, Ellie and Sophia.  We won't tell Sophia's daddy you put your arm around her at her brothers birthday...

We had a few firsts this month, first snow flakes falling on your head, first times crawling up and down the stairs, lots of new foods (mac and cheese - yeah).

This month we also took you to buy your first pair of tennis shoes.  Of course your feet were too large for the pre-walkers, so we left stride right with size 4.5 wide stage 2 sneakers.

It was however your third haircut!

You're weighing in at 22 pounds 2 ounces - 65th percentile,  are 31 and a quarter inches tall 90th percentile. 
You wear 12 month clothing and size four diapers. Growing, growing, growing...

You love balloons and Elmo, so I couldn't help but get you a birthday balloon at the store!

It amazes me how that little ball of a baby we carried home from the hospital has developed into a fun loving, always moving, laughing and singing lightning bolt.  Your smile is contagious and you love to be around people.  I'm so very glad you are mine to love and hold, help grow, have fun with, sing songs to, tickle and laugh with.  We love our little coo, and are excited to see what the next year will bring!